Sunday, 9 October 2016

Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm | Review

If you’re switched on to just-under-the-radar skincare brands, you may have heard of Merumaya. Or, to give it the full title Merumaya Integrative Effective Skincare.

Its a based on a philosophy of empowerment, no hype, just great products that deliver. They formulate each product using the full concentration of active ingredients and shy away from claiming miracles happen when you crack open a pot of their face cream.

Instead, they’re all about age-positivity and looking the best you can for you. And everything is manufactured right here in Britain.

Merumaya is a brand with a lot going for it, so when I got the chance to try out one of their star products, the Melting Cleansing Balm, I couldn’t wait to see what it was really like.

The Hype

This balm comes with some fans in very high places. The Guardian went so far as to call this ‘The King of Cleansing Balms’ and revered skincare guru Caroline Hirons has praised it too.

There are already a dedicated legion of Merumaya super-fans out there, who are loving that this product gives spa results with a relatively painless price tag. The formula promises to gently dissolve make-up and dirt leaving skin hydrated and radiant.

It will reduce the signs of ageing using clinically-proven active ingredients in high concentration, yet the formula is also gentle enough for sensitive and acne-prone skins to use. The Balm is also loaded with Merumaya’s signature essence blend for that luxurious feel.

The Packaging

Melting Cleansing Balm comes in a simple clear plastic squeeze tube, which makes it easy to use and very portable. It wont break in a wash bag, so if you travel a lot and want to take some soothing, luxurious skincare with you, this will fit the bill. You can also get every last bit of product out of the tube.

However, I would say that the packaging is definitely lacking on the luxury front. It looks quite mature, refined and faintly medical – not quite an object of beauty.

Of course, that’s far from the most important thing, but it does mean that if you’re a fan of a beautiful bathroom shelf this may not have a place.

I don’t find the packaging very appealing and I probably wouldn’t pick this out of a shelf of products as the one for me – that’s why its all the nicer to try it out and realise that there’s more to this cleanser than shelf appeal.

The Formula

Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm is a dense, silky gel when squeezed out. It feels very thick and luxurious when applied to the face. You stroke it onto dry skin to break down dirt and cosmetics, then you splash with water to emulsify the product, and then remove with more water or a cloth.

The Balm is loaded with essential oils and you can really tell as it gives the product a very luxurious, high-quality feel. There's Sweet Almond Oil to condition and cleanse, and Echium Oil which contains Omega 3-6-9, which is hugely important to allow the skin to repair its barrier, which is damaged by pollutions and extremes of temperature.

There’s also Mangosteen extract, which helps guard against anti-oxidants that cause lines and wrinkles. All the bases are covered for a skin-smoothing, deeply restoring cleanse.

The Performance

I'm a fan of double-cleansing, where you do a first cleanse to remove make-up and second to deeply cleanse and purify the skin.

Often, you can find that method a little harsh and the skin can feel a little stressed out and inflamed if you’ve chosen a harsh cleanser, but with Merumaya’s Melting Cleansing Balm, that isn’t a worry. It smells so amazing – like an expensive spa – that just applying it is relaxing and feels like a treat.

When I have the time, I like to use this to do some facial massage. The texture is perfect and silky smooth and after you wash it off, the skin is left feeling deeply moisturised and cared for. I would recommend that this is best when used with a muslin wash cloth, as the texture is so thick that it can feel as if you need something to get all the residue properly off.

It makes short work of any make-up, including stubborn mascara, and provides a very thorough cleanse without ever leaving skin feel stripped - which is absolutely ideal for the harsher autumn and winter months we’re entering now.

A little goes a very long way as well – a tiny dab will cover the whole face and bust away grime no problem. The Balm feels utterly amazing to use and really is a little slice of heaven at the end of my busy days.

The Verdict

If yore looking for a Cleansing Balm that really delivers, Merumaya is well worth a try. That luxurious scent and beautiful effectiveness will impress you and leave you with smooth, comforted and cleansed skin that feels very pampered. Just the smell of this feels like a day at the spa!

This really delivers on its promises and is a fabulous little find. With the colder weather, this feels especially nice and rich – and at £16.50 is well worth a try for the winter. I’m looking forward to discovering more products in the Merumaya range.